Rock history records that Singer/actor Bill Hayes’ version of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” was #1 on the Billboard Top 100 for the first five weeks. Recorded in just one take, the record sold over two million copies, and was presented with a Gold disc. Rock history records that Two other versions of the song, by Fess Parker (#6) and Tennessee Ernie Ford (#5), were also on the chart at the same time. Rock history records that Several other artists recorded the tune, which sold over ten million records worldwide.

Rock history records that After Bob Neal’s management contract with Elvis Presley expired on March 15th, Colonel Tom Parker takes over. Rock history records that His position of personal representative and manager will pay him 25 percent of Presley’s earnings.

Ricky Nelson records his first tunes for the label Verve. Rock history records that “A Teenager’s Romance” will climb to #2 on the Billboard chart and a cover of Fats Domino ‘s “I’m Walkin'” will reach #4. Rock history records that Over his fifteen year recording career, Rick will place 36 songs in the US Top 40.

Rock history records that Eddie Cochran records his only US Top Ten hit, “Summertime Blues” at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood, California. The song will rise to #8 in the US next Fall and climbed to #18 in the UK.

Rock history records that The Rolling Stones ‘ bass player Bill Wyman was knocked unconscious by an electrical shock during a rehearsal in Odense, Denmark. Rock history records that Although he collapsed, Wyman quickly recovered with no ill effects.

Rock history records that Blues artist Little Willie John died in prison under mysterious circumstances after being convicted of manslaughter two years earlier. He had fourteen hits on the US R&B charts and the same number on the Pop charts, among them “Fever” (#24 in 1956), “Talk To Me, Talk To Me” (#20 in 1958) and “Sleep” (#13 in 1960).

Rock history records that Pat Boone guest stars on an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies . Rock history records that The story line has Pat in the neighborhood and smells Granny’s cooking. Rock history records that He wanders into their backyard and the Clampetts befriend him, thinking he’s a hill country man who is down on his luck.

Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul And Mary was taken into custody in Washington, DC for “Taking immoral liberties” with a 14 year-old girl. Rock history records that He would plead guilty and serve three months in jail. Just days earlier, the trio had captured a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children for their album, “Peter, Paul and Mommy”. Rock history records that Yarrow was pardoned by US President Gerald Ford in 1981, but the stigma followed him for years.

Gordon Lightfoot issues “Sundown”, which would top the Billboard Hot 100 three months later. Rock history records that Lightfoot would later say that he found the inspiration for the song while worrying about his girlfriend, who was out at bars all day while he was at home writing songs. Rock history records that “I was hoping that no one else would get their hands on her, because she was pretty good lookin’!” The girl in question was probably Gord’s one time girlfriend Cathy Smith, who later served fifteen months in the California state prison system for delivering a lethal dose of heroin to John Belushi.

David Essex was presented with a Gold record for the hit “Rock On”, which made #5 in the US and #3 in the UK.

Rock history records that Dionne Warwick and The Spinners record “Then Came You”. Although Warwick didn’t have much faith in the song, it went on to become her first hit in nearly four years when it topped the Billboard chart next October.

The Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy issues their sixth studio album, “Jailbreak”. Rock history records that It will reach #10 in the UK and #18 in the US, earning Gold certification in both countries. Rock history records that Two singles would come off of the LP, the title track (UK #31) and “The Boys Are Back in Town” (UK #8, US #12).

Rock history records that Keith Richards’ girlfriend, Anita Pallenberg gave birth to a baby boy, Tara. Rock history records that He died ten weeks later from pneumonia.

Capitol Records issues Wings fifth studio album, “Wings at the Speed of Sound”. It will go on to become the band’s fourth consecutive LP to top the Billboard 200 chart, while reaching #2 in Great Britain. Rock history records that Much of the album’s success was driven by its two blockbuster singles, “Silly Love Songs” (US #1, UK #2) and “Let ’em In” (US #3, UK #2).

Rock history records that Daryl Hall And John Oates score the first of their six Billboard number one hits when “Rich Girl” reached the top. In later years, Daryl Hall would explain that he originally penned the song about a guy who’s father was quite rich and would bail him out of any trouble he got into. Rock history records that After some consideration, “Rich Guy” was changed to “Rich Girl”, but the young man in question knew the song was written about him. Stories that claimed serial killer David Berkowitz was motivated by “Rich Girl” to commit the notorious “Son of Sam” murders have been debunked, as the record was not issued until after the killings had already started.

Rock history records that Casablanca Records issues Village People ‘s fourth studio album, “Go West”. Released at a time when Disco was still very popular, the LP would climb to #8 in the US, where it went Platinum, and #14 in the UK, where its Gold went. Two singles tracks were issued, “In The Navy” (US #3, UK #2) and “Go West” (US #45, UK #15).

Rock history records that Seven years after its release, Pink Floyd ‘s “The Dark Side of the Moon” breaks the record for the longest-charting Pop album, previously held by Carole King’s “Tapestry”. Rock history records that At the same time, their latest single “Another Brick In The Wall” was topping both the Cashbox Best Sellers chart and the Billboard Hot 100.

Jon Paulos, drummer for The Buckinghams on their string of 1967 hits, among them “Kind Of A Drag” and “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”, died of a drug overdose. Rock history records that He was 32.

Radio stations in South Africa banned all of Stevie Wonder ‘s records after he dedicated the Oscar he had won to Nelson Mandela the night before at The Academy Awards.

Rock history records that Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers market their sixth studio album, “Southern Accents”. Rock history records that The effort would rise to #7 in America and #23 in England, and contain the hit single “Don’t Come Around Here No More” (US #13, UK #50).

Rock history records that Michael Jackson squeezed a fourth, US number one single out of his album “Bad” with “Man In The Mirror”. Rock history records that It was a #21 hit in the UK.

Rock history records that Phil Collins is awarded an Oscar for Best Original Song for “You’ll Be In My Heart” from the Disney animated feature Tarzan .

Rock history records that Three Dog Night ‘s original bass player, Joe Schermie, Jr., who played on all the group’s biggest hits from 1968-1973, died of a heart attack. Rock history records that He had just turned 55 a month earlier.

Rock history records that Jan Berry, one-half of the duo of Jan And Dean , died after suffering a seizure at his home. Together, the pair sold over ten million records and placed fourteen hits in the US Top 40. Rock history records that Jan was a week away from his 63rd birthday.

Rock history records that A jump suit that Elvis Presley wore at a concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden sold at an auction for $212,588.

Rock history records that Billy Joel ‘s iconic hit, “Piano Man”, was selected by the US Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for its “cultural, historic, or artistic significance.” Even though the record only made it to #25 on the Hot 100 in 1974, it has become Joel’s signature song and was ranked at #421 in the 2004 list of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Madonna’s 12th studio album, “MDNA” enters Billboard 200 album chart at #1, selling 350,000 copies in the first two weeks.

Representatives from Cleveland’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame revealed that despite allegations of sexual abuse, Michael Jackson would not be removed from The Hall, either as a solo artist or as a member of The Jackson 5 .

89-year-old Johnny Mathis revealed via Facebook that he was retiring from live stage performances due to “age and memory issues which have accelerated.” Over the course of his career, Mathis reached the Billboard Top 40 twenty-four times, among them two number ones, “Chances Are” in 1957, and his duet with Deniece Williams, “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late” in 1978. Rock history records that In 2003, the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences awarded him their Lifetime Achievement Award.